Feeler mechanism for looms



May 27, 1924. 1,495,531

A. E. RHOADES FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Sept. 26, 1922 Sheets-Shae 1 Fig.1.

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Alongo E. R hppdes v v Anya May 27. 1924. 1,495,531

A. E. RHOADES FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Sept. 26. 192 2 $heets-$heet 2 Fig. 4;.

\nvenTor. Alonzo E. RhOCId BS byWM&M

Patented May 27, 1924.

ALONZO E. RHOADES, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR T0 DRAPER COR- PORATION, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOO'MS.

Application filed September 26, 1922. Serial No. 590,642.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo E. RHOADES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hopedale, count of Worcester, State of Massachusetts (whose post-ofiice address is Hopedale, Massachusetts), have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mecha nism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like char acters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a feeler mechanism for efiecting automatically a change in the operation of the loom when the filling in the working shuttle has become substantially exhausted but while sufiicient filling still remains on the filling carrier to insure the weaving of perfect cloth. The change in the operation of the loom thus efiected may, for example, be the stopping of the loom or it may be and frequently is the replenishment of a fresh supply of filling such as takes place in the well known automatic filling replenishing loom. Various forms of feeler mechanism have been designed for accomplishing this object but this invention relates more particularly to that type of feeler mechanism employing what is commonly termed a needle-feeler. This type of feeler mechanism comprises a feeler member having a small point which is adapted to sink into the mass of filling upon each detecting beat of the lay without effect-- ing the operative movement of the feeler member until the filling has become exhausted to the required degree whereupon the point of the feeler member comes into contact with the hard surface of the filling carrier and upon'the ensuing beat up of the lay is given an operative movement.

One object of the present invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of the needle type in which this needle or penetrating feeler member is normally held in a retracted position so as not to engage and penetrate or sink into the filling thus prevent ing any injury or damage being done thereby to the filling and in which this penetrating member is only projected so as to en gage the filling when the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent or is approaching the degree of exhaustion demember which when the filling has become exhausted to a predetermined degree comes into contact with the face of the shuttle or shuttle box wall.

A further object of the inventionis to provide in this type of feeler mechanism a governing or controlling feeler memberwhich is given an indicating movement upon the exhaustion of the filling to a predeter mined extent and thereby or therethrough acts to bring the filling penetrating member into position to engage and feel the filling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of this type comprising a filling penetrating member, a filling impinging member, a controlling or governing member such as a shuttle imping ing member and an actuator together with means associated with the filling penetrating member, the governing member and the actuator acting to maintain the filling penetrating member retracted and the actuator inactive until the filling is sufiiciently exhausted to eifect the movement of the gov er'ning member and then acting to maintain 'the filling penetrating member projected until the filling is suificiently exhausted to permit the filling penetrating member to engage the filling carrier and then acting to move the actuator int-o actuating position, the said means preferably being in the form of a lever engaging the filling penetrating member and fulcruming successively onthe actuator and on the governing member or shuttle impinging member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feeler mechanism or this type in which the filling penetrating member is normally retracted and does not engage with the filling until the filling is approaching substantial exhaustion so that there is little or no danger of the point of the penetrating member cutting or injuring the filling.

A further object of the invention is to 60 of a shuttle impinging feeler member orfa v provide in this type of feeler mechanism a shuttle impinging member moving rectilinearly and thus having no gouging action tending to wear the face of the shuttle.

In some aspects the present invention is subsidiaryto the invention made the subject of my application, Serial No. 590,641 filed concurrently herewith. The general nature and the objects of the present invention will appear more fully from the description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a preferred form of feeler mechanism embodying the invention Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1; v

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged details chiefly in top plan view showing successive positions of the main elements of the feeler mechanismin relation to a filling carrier as the filling is diminished thereon.

As the general construction and operation of feeler mechanisms of this general type;

and as the construction and operation of looms of different typesto which such feeler mechanisms may be applied, are both well known and familiar to those skilled in the art it will only be necessary to illustrate and describe in detail those features innned-iately concerned with the present invention.

The preferred form of feeler mechanism illustrated is of a form particularly adapted for an automatic replenishing loom of the well known Northrop type and for governing the replenishing operation by which a fresh filling carrier is forced into the shuttle on. the lay when the running filling carrier has become substantially exhausted. Such automatic filling replenishing rnechanism is usually set into operation by the for ward movement of the end of a controller arm 1 and the object of the feeler mechanism is to give this movement to the controller arm when the filling in the shuttle has reached substantial exhaustion.

The feeler mechanism is shown as comprising a feeler stand having two main parts, a base 2 and a top 3 scoured together by screws 4 and sup iiorted upon a bracket 5 by bolts which bracket is again in turn secured to the breast beam or other fixed portion of the loom opposite the detecting side of the loom. The lay 6 is shown as provided with the usual shuttle b0. '2' having an opening 8 to permit the passage of certain of the feelcr elements and in which the shuttle 9. also having an opening 10 in its side to permit the passage of certain of the feeler elements, is boxed at the detecting side of the loom. The shuttle is shown as carrying a filling carrier or bobbin 11 of usual form. The main or operative parts of the feeler mechanism of this invention comprise a filling impinging member, a filling penetrating member, a governing or controlling member such as a shuttle impinging member, and a controller actuator all carried by a feeler slide and each having a movement relatively to the others.

The feeler slide is shown as a flat metal plate 12 mounted in a groove in the feeler stand so as to slide longitudinally toward and from the lay. The forward portion 13 of the feeler slide is smaller than the rear portion thus forming a shoulder 14C against which a spring 15 surrounding the portion 13 abuts. This spring also abuts against a shoulder 16 at the forward end of the feeler stand and thus acts normally to project the feeler slide toward the lay.

The end of the controller 1 is guided in a longitudinal slot formed in the feeler stand and a stop lug 18 carried by the feeler slide acts to insure the movement of the controller arm 1' into its rearward or normal position.

The actuator is in the form of a bell crai lever fulcruined at 19 on a post or braclir; 20 projecting upwardly from the feelerslide. The long arm 21 of the actuator projects forwardly and is provided with a forked end 22 while the shorter arm 23 projects downwardly nearly to the plate l2. A vertical plunger 24 normally depressed by a spring is mounted in a bracket 26 at the rearward end of the feeler stand and acts normally to hold the actuator with its longer arm 21 depressed so that during the reciprocations of the feeler slide this arm will pass beneath the end of the controller 1.

The filling impinging member is formed by the long wide flat surface 2'? at the rear end of the feeler slide and the cover plate 28 which is secured by screws 2:) to the rearward end of the fccler slide. During the ordinary operation of the loom this is the only part which contacts with the filling and as the surface 27 is comparatively la an smooth there is little danger of any lflji y being done to the filling by its contact therewith.

The filling penetrating member or needle feeler is a small sharp point 30 formed on the end of a bar 31 which has a substantially rectilinear sliding movement in a groove formed be: ween the plate 12 and cover plate 28.

The governing or controlling feeler is in the form of a threaded stud 32 having a rounded head 33 to engage preferably with the face of the shuttle. This stud is adjustable longitudinally in a block 34 and is locked in adjusted position by a lock nut 35. The block 34 is carried upon a slide fitting between the plate 12 and cover plate 28 and is thus guided rectilinearly and longitudinally of the feeler slide. This insures a di rect contact with the shuttle wall and cliniinatcs any wear or gouging of the shuttle ion wall. A Spring 37 seated between the block 34C and bracket 20 acts normally to hold the shuttle impinging member and its slide in rearward or projected position.

The specific means illustrated as an embodiment of the invention for governing or controlling the relative movements of the filling penetrating member and actuator from the governing or controlling member or shuttle impinging member is a lever 38 located between the plate 12 and cover plate 28. One end of this lever is pivoted at 39 to the forward end of the filling penetrating member 31 and at its other end is pivoted at in the slide 36 of the shuttle impinging member. At its central portion this lever 38 is provided with a curved projection 4.1 which seats against the shorter arm 23 of the actuator lever. During the normal operation of the loom the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1 with the filling" penetrating member retracted and as the feeler slide is pushed forwardly by the contact of the filling with the filling impinging member 27 the arm 21 of the actuator rides beneath the controller 1. If, for any reason, the filling penetrating member should project beyond the surface 27 it is pushed forward or retracted by slight contact with the filling. The successive steps in the operation of the feeler mechanism will best be understood by reference to the detailed illustrations of Figures 3, i, 5 and 6.

In Figure 3 the parts are shown in the position which they normally have when the filling carrier is filled or substantially filled with filling. At every other heat up of the lay, or when the shuttle is at the detecting side of the loom, the filling 42 engages the filling impinging face 27 and moves the feeler slide forwardly as set forth.

In Figure l the filling 42 is assumed to have reached a point approaching sub-- stantial exhaustion when it is desired that an accurate feeling operation should be performed so as to indicate substantial exhaustion. Under these circumstances the shuttle impinging member 32 is adjusted so that the head 33 will contact with the wall 9 of the shuttle. When this contact takes place on the next detecting beat of the lay the shuttle impinging member contacting with the shuttle is moved slightly forwardly rocking the lever 38 on the fulcrum ll seated against the actuator. The actuator does not move because the spring 37 is of much light er force than the spring This rocking movement of the lever 38 projects the pene- {rating member 31 slightly and the point 30 sinks into the filling. This operation continues with the point 30 sinking deeper into the filling at each detecting beat up of the lay until the position is reached which is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein the penetrating member has reached its greatest amount of projection and it has just barely sunk through the last layer or filling 42 into contact with the filling carrier 11.

In Figure 6 the filling 42 has woven off to such an extent that only an amount remains on the filling carrier sufficient to make one, two or more picks as desired and when this takes place as the detecting beat up of end of the controller arm 1 and as the forward movement in the feeler slide continues the controller arm 1 is carried forwardly initiating the desired change, such as filling replenishment. in the operation of the loom.

Thus it will be seen that the filling pene- -trating member engages only with the filling when the filling is nearing the pointof substantial exhaustion and thus does not contact with the [illing during the normal operation of the loo1'n,that its action is controlled or governed by an adjustable member such as the shuttle impinging member 32, and when the fillingpenetrating member does begin its detecting action it acts but a short time before the required degree of exhaustion of the filling is reached when having engaged with the smooth hard surface of the filling carrier it acts directly and firmly to raise the actuator into actuating or operative position.

There is thus presented a very simple, efiicient and desirable form of feeler mechanism which may be readily and accurately adjusted to the required conditions and which does not act to injure or damage the filling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A feeler mechanism for looms compris ing a longitudinally movable support, means acting normally to project the support toward the shuttle. a filling impinging member carried by the support, a filling penetrating member, a shuttle impinging member mounted to move rectilinear-1y and longitudinally of the support, an actuator acting when moved into actuating position to initiate a change in the operation of the loom, the said filling penetrating member, shuttle impinging member and actuator each carried by the support and movable relatively to the support and to each other, a lever engaging at separated points the filling penetrating member, the shuttle impinging member and the actuator, the said lever remaining inactive until the filling has been-sufficiently exhausted to allow the shuttle impinging mei'nber to contact With the shuttle upon the beat-up and'thereaztter fulcruming on the actuator untilthe filling has been sufficiently exhausted to alloW the filling penetrating member to engage the fill ing carrierand then fulcruming on the shuttle impinging member to move the actuator into actuating position.

2. A; feeler mechanism for looms comprisinga longitudinally slidable feeler slide, means acting nor sally to project the 'feeler slide toward the shuttle, a filling penetrating member mounted in and longitudinally slidable relatively to the feeler slide, a filling impinging member carried by the feelerslide, a shuttle impinging member mounted in and longitudinally slidable relatively to the feeler slide, an actuator carried by the 'feeler slide, movable relatively thereto, standing normally in inactive position, and acting when moved into actuating position to initiate a change in the operation of the loom, and a lever pivoted at its ends to the filling penetrating member and the shuttle impinging member and fulcrumed intermediate of its ends on the actuator whereby until the filling is sufiiciently exhausted to permit the shuttle impinging member to contact with the shuttle the filling penetrating member remains retracted and the actuator inactive and whereby When the fill ing is sutliciently exhausted to cause the shuttle impinging member to contact With the shuttle the lever is rocked on the actuator to project the filling penetrating member and whereby when the filling is sulficiently exhausted to enable the filling penttrating member to engage the filling carrier the lever is rocked on its connection to the shuttle impinging member and moves the actuator into actuating position.

3; A- i' eeler mechanism for looms p sing a rectilinearly slidable teeler slide, means acting normally to project the Peeler slide towardtlie shuttle, a filling penetrating member mounted in and longitudinally slidable relatively to the teeler slide, a shuttle impinging membermomnted in and rectilinear-1y and longitudinally slidable relatively to the feel'er slide, and means for controlling the position of the filling penetrating member from the shuttle impinging member.

4%]. A il eeler mechanism for looms comprising a filling penetrating member, a rectilinearly movable shuttle impinging member and means for controlling the position of the filling penetrating member from the shuttle impinging member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALONZO E. RHOADES.

COlll- 

